A scent reminiscent of the ocean’s salty breeze and the intense fragrance of spices permeated the apartment, piquing Joe’s interest. The twelve-year-old rose and inhaled deeply. “Come on, get up, you sleepyhead. Mother is preparing fish curry.” His younger sister, ten-year-old Sarah, rubbed her eyes in astonishment and awoke.
Since the passing of her husband five months ago, Amy has refrained from cooking extravagant dishes.
“Fish is very expensive,” Amy often remarked, shaking her head whenever her children expressed their fondness for coastal cuisine.
The two kids nearly collided with the square glass table as they dashed to the kitchen. “What poor habit is this, rushing into the kitchen without brushing your teeth?” Amy gently admonished them.
The children could hardly contain their excitement for the fish curry, but Amy informed them that breakfast consisted of cereal.
“But why?” Sarah protested.
“We are going to the beach today. Fish curry and rice for lunch,” Amy replied, kissing affectionately on both children’s foreheads.
“BEACH!” the two exclaimed in unison.
“We will indulge in the slippery fish while sitting on the coarse sand,” Joe proudly acknowledged his insightful remark.
They devoured their cereal and hurriedly packed their belongings for their beach outing while chatting excitedly. Their last visit to the beach was with their father, just weeks before his sudden passing due to cardiac arrest.
“Mother is in a good mood. She is taking us to the beach and will treat us to fish curry,” Sarah noted, meticulously folding her swimsuit. Since their father’s death, Amy had consistently appeared melancholic.
She married Harry against her parents’ wishes, who had fixed her wedding with a wealthy businessman. Harry’s parents had died early in a road accident, and when Amy married him, he was struggling to make ends meet but had soon established an apparel shop. He was constantly working on expanding his business, trying to prove to Amy’s parents that he was a staunch businessman, like the guy they had in mind for Amy.
But life doesn’t always offer things on a golden platter. Harry was still struggling to keep the apparel unit running despite having taken out loans from all quarters.
And then suddenly, he died of a massive cardiac arrest. Amy was left alone. Her parents still maintained a cold-shoulder attitude, but they couldn’t be blamed for they were a mere puppet in the hands of Amy’s only sibling, her elder brother, who had vowed not to pardon Amy for her audacity to elope with a middle-class man, tarnishing their image in an opulent community.
After their father’s death, the children had seen strange individuals often knock at the door to compound their sorrow, speaking in deep voices. Although the children could not comprehend what was conveyed, they frequently heard their mother pleading in tears.
“I will try and pay soon,” she said.
The sound of clanging utensils in the kitchen indicated that lunch boxes were being prepared, prompting the children to hasten in getting ready.
During the journey, their mother consistently chatted with them. The kids were witnessing her in a jovial mood after a very long hiatus.
“Ma, those men won’t return now; that is why you are happy?” Sarah’s almond-shaped eyes widened. The two had seen her sobbing quietly after those weird visitors would go.
Amy shook her head, “No, they won’t come,” she assured the kids.
The two hurried to get their swimming suits as soon as they reached the beach.
“Do you not want to join us?” Joe asked. “I thought you carried your swimsuit,” he said, creasing his brows.
“I will join you after lunch,” Amy responded warmly. “Let me sit here and keep a vigil on our fish curry. What if some urchin comes and gobbles it?” She winked.
“Oh, no, that can’t happen,” the two said unanimously, running towards the water in their pretty swimsuits.
When they were hungry, the two came out to relish the fish curry with rice. Amy observed as the children savoured every bit of their meal, their cherished dish.
After she finished her lunch, Amy joined Joe and Sarah in the water.
As dusk fell, families began to return home when a couple shouted, horrified at the sight of three floating bodies.
The following day, the newspaper reported the drowning of a mother and her two children, with autopsy results indicating that they had tragically taken their own lives by ingesting poison.
The fish curry was genuinely delectable and alleviated the significant financial burden left behind by Harry.
This Stroy was published in Porchlit.magazine